Microsoft (MSFT.O) is collaborating with the French government to create a digital twin of Paris' iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral, the country's most visited landmark, the company's president Brad Smith announced on Monday.
The 862-year-old Gothic cathedral, which reopened in December following five years of restoration after a major fire in 2019, will now be digitally replicated to preserve its architectural details and offer an immersive virtual experience for remote visitors, Microsoft said.
Notre-Dame, immortalised in Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, has become a symbol of French heritage, with its hunchbacked bell-ringer Quasimodo featured in films, musicals, and animated adaptations.
Microsoft previously partnered with French heritage digitalisation firm Iconem to create a digital version of St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. Reflecting on that experience, Smith told Reuters, “We learned that a digital twin helps with long-term maintenance by capturing a precise record of every centimetre of a structure.”
He added, “Creating a digital twin today will provide a priceless record that I believe will still be in use a century from now.”
Since 2019, Microsoft has undertaken similar digital preservation projects, including Ancient Olympia in Greece, Mont Saint-Michel in France, and commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy.
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At least 11 people, including a three-year-old boy, were killed when gunfire erupted at an illegal bar in Pretoria, with police launching a manhunt for three unidentified suspects.
The C5+1 meeting between Central Asian leaders and U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington in early November signals the ascent of Central Asia to the status of a pivot in the bipolar geopolitical order.
China’s national security office in Hong Kong on Saturday cautioned foreign media against spreading “false information” or attempting to “smear” government efforts in responding to the city’s deadliest fire in nearly 80 years.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., has finalized the group stage for the tournament co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, setting the schedule and matchups for next summer’s expanded 48-team event.
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Iran’s Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for its support of the claims by United Arab Emirates on three Iranian islands.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping accompanied French President Emmanuel Macron to Chengdu on Friday, a rare gesture seemingly reserved for the head of Europe's second-largest economy that highlights Beijing's focus on Paris in its ties with the European Union.
The United States plans to extend its travel ban to over 30 countries, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Thursday.
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At least 11 people, including a three-year-old boy, were killed when gunfire erupted at an illegal bar in Pretoria, with police launching a manhunt for three unidentified suspects.
Qatar opened the Doha Forum with a stark warning that Gaza ceasefire talks have entered a critical moment, as officials said the current pause in fighting cannot yet be described as a lasting halt to hostilities.
Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Hikmat Hajiyev, has highlighted Baku’s commitment to advancing long-term peace in the South Caucasus after taking part in a dedicated panel at the 23rd Doha Forum.
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